The opening sequence of David Yates’ The Legend of Tarzan makes us think we’re going to see a sequel to Hugh Hudson’s excellent 1984 film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, but soon deteriorates into another unnecessary remake of a classic. In this case, an oft-filmed one.

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan first appeared in his 1912 novel Tarzan the Ape Man and made his screen debut in the person of Elmo Lincoln in 1918’s Tarzan of the Apes. He has been a screen staple off and on ever since. The Tarzan films reached their zenith with Johnny Weismuller’s portrayal of the character beginning with 1932’s Tarzan, the Ape Man and its initial 1934 sequel, Tarzan and His Mate. Greystoke was the best of the modern versions, while Disney’s 1999 animated version introduced the character to newer generations.

Yates, best known for his direction of four of the Harry Potter films, relies heavily on CGI (computer generated imagery) to re-introduce us in retrospect to Tarzan’s origins and to move us forward through the machinations of Belgium’s King Leopold and his minions who profit from slave-trading in the 19th century Belgian Congo. Alexander Skarsgard provides minimalist acting typical of Tarzan portrayals, which is to say he’s neither good nor bad, just there. He’s OK, but Margot Robbie, looking like she just stepped off the cover of Vogue, is all wrong as Jane. Christoph Waltz’s overacting makes one wish that he would give back at least one of his two Oscars, while Samuel L. Jackson proves his usual charm as the film’s narrator and Tarzan’s American friend. It’s really a mixed bag. Neither the best nor worst of the unnecessary remakes flooding the market, it’s just another waste of time.

The Legend of Tarzan is available in Blu-ray 3D, 2D, and standard 2D DVD.

One’s time would be better spent revisiting one of several classic films recently given sparkling Blu-ray upgrades.

Just in time for Halloween, Shout! Factory has released special editions of two of the great modern horror films, 1976’s Carrie and 1982’s The Thing.

The first film version of Stephen King’s first novel Carrie was also the first of his books to be filmed, immediately taking its place as one of the quintessential films of the genre. Forty years later and it is still that and more. No other film yet made has tackled bullying quite the way this one has. Nor has any film given us a heroine quite like Carrie, the repressed young girl who exacts vengeance on all those who bullied her and then some.

Sissy Spacek, married to the film’s art director Jack Fisk, was given a courtesy audition for the part and blew everyone’s socks off, getting the part over director Brian De Palma’s original choice. Various actors auditioned for the other parts in dual auditions with De Palma and George Lucas who was casting for Star Wars at the time. That’s how William Katt, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, P.J. Soles, and other Star Wars rejects were cast in the roles of Carrie’s classmates. Betty Buckley, who played Carrie’s gym teacher, had previously done voice work for De Palma and, in fact, dubs other characters in Carrie including the boy who falls off his bicycle. Piper Laurie was recommended by an acquaintance she didn’t even know was a then-executive at United Artists, which produced the film. In her first acting role since The Hustler fifteen years earlier, Laurie’s extraordinary take on Carrie’s religious fanatic mother, not only brought her back to the screen, it brought her a second career that has kept her busy ever since.

Spacek’s sensitive portrayal earned her the Best Actress award of the National Society of film Critics and an Oscar nomination in the year in which eventual winner Faye Dunaway was the runaway favorite for Network. Laurie’s enigmatic portrayal was, along with Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, one of two performances expected to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. They lost to Beatrice Straight in Network in one of Oscar’s biggest upsets.

The first disc of the two-disc set contains the film looking better than ever thanks to a new 4K scan that corrects the pinkish look of the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film. The second disc contains a wealth of extras including new interviews with cast and crew along with the 1992 interview with Spacek, Laurie, and other actors conducted for the 25th anniversary edition.

The Thing has also been accorded a two-disc set with the film being given an improved 2K scan and loads of extras on the second disc including interviews with director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell.

Originally released on DVD and Blu-ray in January 2015 when it was considered the frontrunner for the 2014 Oscar for Best Picture, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, one thought it would be years before an upgraded release would be available, especially after the film lost the Oscar to Birdman. Happily, that isn’t the case. The Criterion Edition not only includes a 2K transfer of the film, but audio commentary of the film that took twelve years to make, interviews, essays, and more. There is even a documentary on the making of the film recorded over the many years it took to make.

Robert Altman’s 1971 classic anti-western McCabe & Mrs. Miller starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, has also been newly released in a bells-and-whistles Criterion Edition, marking the film’s first appearance on Blu-ray. The 4K transfer is a vast improvement over the long available Warner Bros. DVD. Extras include new interviews with co-stars René Auberjonois and Keith Carradine as well as numerous Altman associates and several film historians.

James Foley’s 1992 film of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross has finally received a U.S. Blu-ray release from Lionsgate. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey head the cast in this brilliantly written drama about high stakes real-estate salesmen fighting for their survival. Lemmon won acting awards from both the Venice Film Festival and the National Board of Review while Pacino received a supporting actor Oscar nomination the same year he finally won as Best Actor for Scent of a Woman.

Warner Archive’s release of classic films on Blu-rays continues with the release of Nicholas Ray’s 1952 film noir On Dangerous Ground starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. Lupino gets top billing, but Ryan, who is in every scene, is the real star of the film.

This was one of several films Ray made between 1950’s In a Lonely Place and 1954’s Johnny Guitar, both of which have also received Blu-ray upgrades this year. Like those films, its reputation has grown since its initial release when critics gave the film a lukewarm reception. Ray’s strong direction, the performances of both Ryan and Lupino and Bernard Herrmann’s rich score make it a real treat.

This week’s new releases include the Criterion Collection upgrades of Pan’s Labyrinth and Short Cuts.